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And of them, there were a number of unusual, "nuisance" calls which took up valuable call handler time and could have prevented another person with a genuine emergency seeking help.

They included:

A report of flies on fruit in a supermarket

Keys being dropped down a drain

A call asking for advice about a peacock on their roof

Someone asking for help because they had missed their bus home

A woman unhappy with recently fitted doors rang to ask police to check them

A punter at a Hull pub rang to complain about a rude barmaid who regularly upsets him

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A Humberside Police spokesman said: “People often call 999 because they have no credit left on their phones or because they wrongly assume they will get dealt with more speedily.

“But it’s very important that we are able to deal with genuine emergencies in a timely and efficient manner and this is hampered by calls that come through to us that simply should not involve the police or which are not an emergency.

“Alternatively, if you are a victim of a minor crime or wish to report a non-emergency to the police, you can use our website at www.humberside.police.uk or call us on 101.

“We want to provide the best service we can and on the 80th anniversary of 999, it’s helpful for everyone to remember that the number is for emergencies only.”

A call handler with the ambulance service

People were only able to dial 999 to get through to the emergency services 80 years ago – and even then the service was limited to London. In East Yorkshire, the number was not available until 1946.

In 1935, telephones were not automated. Instead an operator connected the wires to put you through to whoever you wanted to speak to – including the emergency services.

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This only changed when five women died after a fire broke out in a London doctor’s surgery, and the Fire Brigade had got to the scene before a neighbour's emergency call had even been answered.

The Government set up a committee to look into how call operators could identify emergency calls better, and decided to introduce an easy-to-remember code people could ring which would alert call handlers to an emergency – and the 999 service was born.

Over the years, telephone company BT has played an important role in keeping the lines functioning and helping emergency services get to people in need.

Marking the 80 anniversary of the number on Friday, Tom Keeney, chairman of BT’s Yorkshire and Humber regional board, said: “Recent events in the UK mean people are acutely aware of the work of the emergency services and the value of the 999 service.

“I am extremely proud of the BT operators and their role in 999. They are a highly competent team working at the sharp end of the most important communication services in the country. In Yorkshire and the Humber countless lives have been saved over the last 80 years because of their professionalism and dedication.”